New International Version - UK

Psalm 37

Of David.

1 Do not fret because of those who are evilor be envious of those who do wrong;2 for like the grass they will soon wither,like green plants they will soon die away.

3 Trust in the Lord and do good;dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.4 Take delight in the Lord,and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord;trust in him and he will do this:6 he will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,your vindication like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before the Lordand wait patiently for him;do not fret when people succeed in their ways,when they carry out their wicked schemes.

8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;do not fret – it leads only to evil.9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;though you look for them, they will not be found.11 But the meek will inherit the landand enjoy peace and prosperity.

12 The wicked plot against the righteousand gnash their teeth at them;13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,for he knows their day is coming.

14 The wicked draw the swordand bend the bowto bring down the poor and needy,to slay those whose ways are upright.15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,and their bows will be broken.

16 Better the little that the righteous havethan the wealth of many wicked;17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,but the Lord upholds the righteous.

18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,and their inheritance will endure for ever.19 In times of disaster they will not wither;in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20 But the wicked will perish:though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,but the righteous give generously;22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,but those he curses will be destroyed.

23 The Lord makes firm the stepsof the one who delights in him;24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

25 I was young and now I am old,yet I have never seen the righteous forsakenor their children begging bread.26 They are always generous and lend freely;their children will be a blessing.[b]

27 Turn from evil and do good;then you will dwell in the land for ever.28 For the Lord loves the justand will not forsake his faithful ones.

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed[c];the offspring of the wicked will perish.29 The righteous will inherit the landand dwell in it for ever.

30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,and their tongues speak what is just.31 The law of their God is in their hearts;their feet do not slip.

32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,intent on putting them to death;33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wickedor let them be condemned when brought to trial.

34 Hope in the Lordand keep his way.He will exalt you to inherit the land;when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless manflourishing like a luxuriant native tree,36 but he soon passed away and was no more;though I looked for him, he could not be found.

37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright;a future awaits those who seek peace.[d]38 But all sinners will be destroyed;there will be no future[e] for the wicked.

39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;he is their stronghold in time of trouble.40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,because they take refuge in him.

Footnotes

Psalm 37:1This psalm is an acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

Psalm 37:26Or freely; / the names of their children will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or freely; / others will see that their children are blessed